My comments on survey by iProperty about SG & Regional properties.

Finding 1: Buyers still âsitting on the fenceâ, in expectation of further price declines (Chart 32) As the survey showed, an overwhelming 95% of the respondents are expecting prices to decline further this year. These sentiments can be attributed to the governmentâs cooling measurements (refer diagrams below). The Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) affects the affordability of a borrower, ie less debt = more loan. Another cause is the Loan to Value Ratio, which limits the gearing of a borrower, eg 2nd loan at 50% only. Also contributing to anaemic demand are the impending rise in interest rates and the poor global economic outlook. Finding 2: Singapore real estate buyers are highly price sensitive (Chart 19) When searching for online information, a whopping 86.20% of the respondents want to see price comparisons, followed closely by details of the property and photos....